Duflo Wins John Bates Clark Medal

Esther Duflo, a development economist at M.I.T., has been awarded the John Bates Clark Medal. The award is given to “that American economist under the age of 40 who is judged to have made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge.” Professor Duflo, 37, helped found the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, whose affiliates do randomized experiments in poor countries to help determine what types of aid and anti-poverty programs actually work. One of her own recent studies looked at how quota systems for female politicians affected Indian attitudes toward female leadership. Other papers have looked at ways to motivate teachers to have better attendance at Indian schools, and what effect reducing the student-teacher ratio at Kenyan schools has on test scores.

Other contenders included Sendhil Mullainathan, Jonathan Levin and one of my favorite economists Amy Finkelstein. The Wall Street Journal reviews these ‘nominees’. For more on Finkelstein, go here.